Ok, here goes. I know you have seen tons of blog posts that are all "Hey, look at all my Mega Man stuff! I bought the most stuff, so I must be the most deserving of free stuff, so I can have more stuff to add to my stuff pile of stuffy stuffness!" So, I'm going to go ahead and leave out the pictures of my Mega Man collections, and focus on something more meaningful, the impact this creation has had on my life, or rather, the life that it has given me.

When I was a young lad, only eleven summers old, I had a stepbrother that owned a NES. He would never let me play it, for fear that I might break it or otherwise damage it in some way that would render it unplayable. I got to watch him play, though, and I have fond memories of these events. When Christmas came one year, he gave me his NES and all the games that came along with it, and that was the best Christmas ever, and the beginning of a new me, as the "gamer" in me finally got out.

The first game I booted up, after not ever seeing it played by my (kind of) sibling, was Mega Man 2. The box art was amazing, and it looked like it was packed with action! I popped it in, and was in awe of the options presented to me right at the start. I could choose any of the eight robot masters I wanted, and if I beat them, I could use their weapons! I played this game day and night, sacrificing sleep, staying inside while my friends were out, and even (gasp...) ditching school!

From that moment on, I was hooked. If this game could present so much to me, there must be others. Sticking with the Capcom name, as that meant the highest of quality, I picked up the rest of the gems for the NES. All the Disney games, the original Capcom classics, and of course, the entire Mega Man collection. I played through these games end to end, over and over, learning every little secret, finding every hidden area and item. And it all started with Mega Man 2, which is still the top spot in my all time favorite game list.

I love this game so much, that I often use it to relieve stress when I am feeling off. I'm in the Air Force, and being part of the military, we often have to go places and do things that we'd rather not. I spent a few months in Iraq, at Ali Air Base, and though stress was high, one thing kept me sane in an otherwise insane world. What's that, you ask? Rather than tell you, I'll show you:

That's right, good old Mega Man 2. Times were tough, but the Blue Bomber was tougher. No matter how bad the day seemed to have been, it all went away when I booted it up, saw the crisp sprites, and heard the awesome music. There has never been, and will never be, a more perfect game.

Fast forward a year later, I found myself in a tattoo shop, looking to get something new. I mulled over it for a week or so, and it hit me. What better icon could I have on my body forever than something that had changed my life forever. If it weren't for Mega Man, I would never have driven myself through game after game, looking for that perfect match of sight and sound. So, I brought in some pictures, talked it over with the artist, and finally decided on what would be my favorite tattoo ever:

The artist, who had been tattooing for most of his life (he was an old, leathery, seasoned vet of the world), kept commenting on how he'd never seen anything like what I requested, and how glad he was that I came to his shop to get it done. I feel proud to this day of that, and even more proud to show the world the one thing that means the most in my life.

I just wanted to say thanks.